


Mistaken Dreams

by Starltwanderer



Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-10
Updated: 2019-03-29
Packaged: 2019-11-15 06:28:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18068318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starltwanderer/pseuds/Starltwanderer
Summary: Sarah's all grown up and enjoying her life as a big Hollywood star, or is she? Does she deserve the happily ever after she portrays regularly, or will she continue making the same mistakes over and over again?Rated Explicit for lemons and mild language.





	1. The Next Mistake

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended. (x)**

Sarah lay in her bed, thinking through her last month of disaster. Yet again, she'd chosen a disastrous guy, pretty, dumb and a notorious playboy, to try and have a forever with. The pattern had been the same since she'd wished Toby away. Find a cute guy, find out he was a jerk, have a quick bit of fun, start all over. She'd managed to get quite the reputation in her small town after that. Irene and her father hadn't been thrilled with how quickly she'd gone through boyfriends in high school, but as long as she was being safe and was happy, they hadn't really pressed the issue.

Things had changed after high school though, she'd gone to college and been discovered in her first performance with the theatre department, the college's production of Shakespeare's The Tempest. She'd managed to land the coveted spot as Miranda, a feat in and of itself as the lead roles typically went to seniors. A talent scout had been in the audience the first night, and by the end of the semester, Sarah was signed and on her way out to some minor role in a new drama movie alongside some of the stars she had idolized. Her father was still distraught she'd chosen to follow in her mother's disastrous footsteps, Linda having abandoned them for Broadway, but Sarah made it a point to call weekly and check in with him and Irene, asking to talk to Toby too.

Sarah had made enough to buy a small house out in the desert, a couple hours from Los Angeles, figuring if she really needed to be in the city, she'd find somewhere to stay at that point, and had made it a point to keep to herself out there, saving up all her big paychecks to give herself a comfortable buffer, just in case the roles dried up. But they hadn't, they'd expanded, and she'd bought a larger compound, gated in this time, still out in the tiny desert community she'd grown to love. Her neighbors made it a point to misdirect any paparazzi that showed up, simply because she'd been so kind to all of them.

She sat up and sighed, there was yet another red carpet in two weeks, and she was dateless, again. It was really too bad, but it wasn't like she was permanently attached to someone. Toby was old enough at eighteen that she could start comfortably bringing him with her. She thought it through and decided she should probably call her parents and see if she could fly him out early and have him skip school to go to the event Saturday and send him home the Sunday.

Looking over next to the phone, her little black book lay, cracked open. Jake hadn't liked seeing the list of names with red x's next to them when he'd found it. The fight had been spectacular, and she was now down one crystal vase and a couple of porcelain figurines that she could replace. He had demanded to know how many of the guys she'd slept with, and when she refused to tell him, he'd lost it, kicking furniture and yelling in fury, but Sarah had given just as good as she'd gotten from him. The crystal vase had been launched into the courtyard to land on the tile and shatter. At least she'd missed the fountain this time, the last time had been some extremely expensive repairs.

Climbing out of bed, she looked at the book again, and opened the drawer of the desk, putting a red x next to Jake's name and number. She was running low on numbers to call, again. Why settle, she thought, she was still a gorgeous woman in her mid-thirties, barely looking a day over 23 still, a blissful trick of genetics.

"Well, I guess it's time to go trolling for guys again. Too bad the old crew all settled down and don't want to go to the bar again, guess I'll have to go by myself. But that means going to stay in LA. I guess I could try Vegas this time… it's been awhile since I've been there, and I could probably convince the girls to go," she grumbled to herself.

She picked the phone up and dialed a number she knew by heart, a sly smile crossing her face. "Hey Meg! Wanna do a girls weekend in Vegas? No husbands, no boyfriends, NO KIDS. We'll get Jess and Leigh to go with us too. It'll be great. My dime? Perfect! I'll book us a suite at the Venetian? Or do we want to do the Paris this time?"

Waiting for the reply, she stared at herself in the mirror. This time was going to be different, no bad boy, no playboy, a nice, sweet guy, she mentally lied to herself. "Great, Paris it is! You guys should drive up here and we'll just take my car. No, it's not a problem! You know as well as I do that my SUV is WAY more comfortable than any of your mom-mobiles. Friday morning. Let me know if you guys need nannies or anything, I'll cover the cost. Jake ditched, so I just need to clear my head."

Sarah listened to the lecture from her friend, yet again, about keeping a guy around for more than a month and rolled her eyes. They went through this every time she had a crazy breakup like this. She needed to hide the black book just a bit better, but why bother. Staring out the window, she saw something that made her shake her head. There was no way a barn owl was awake and sitting in her courtyard at ten in the morning. "Seriously. I'm not kidding. You call the girls, I'll pay for sitters if husbands are working. Promise. And I'll cover all the gambling money, and food. You guys know I'm not huge on burning through the money from the films. Besides, my next one comes out next week, and I managed to get a 3% proviso on the profits this time. Benefits to being the new big name in dramas, I guess," she laughed. This movie was going to go over gang busters, and she'd be rolling in cash. Maybe she'd go on a European vacation for once, troll the continent, find some new lovers across there.

"Ok. Yep, I'll go book the suite now. I'll have to call, they never list them on the sites. I just hope they have the big one still available. Yeah the one from last time. Ok. Love you girl!"  
Sarah hung up with her best friend. It was so hard having the girls all down in San Diego now, where they'd all moved after they got out of the game, but didn't want to leave California and the bustle of LA had been way too much for them once they wanted to settle and have quiet. None of them had taken her up on moving out to her neck of the woods, it was too rural for them. They'd be here in a couple of days, and then they'd pile into her brand new Escalade to head out to Vegas, and would tear the town up. None of them would see what was coming, she smirked looking at her reflection and picking up the phone to call the Paris Las Vegas and book her favourite suite.

The couple of days before the girls arrived passed quickly, and soon they were all in the suite in Las Vegas, hooting and hollering, cracking open a bottle of champagne. Sarah had booked a separate room a couple of floors down, another suite, this one considerably smaller and had another suitcase for that room delivered to it. That one had all her fun in it, the fun her girlfriends would never understand.

That night found them at some new hot nightclub, Sarah dragging them in, a wry smile on her face.

"Sarah, you literally got dumped Monday. You're ALREADY looking for a new fling?" Jess stared at her, blonde bob shaking as she laughed a bit.

"Why let the time pass without a bit of fun?" Sarah's green eyes twinkled.

"Why can't you just find a nice guy in the celebrity circles you run in and marry him? Or better yet. There's a couple of great guys in our group down in San Diego, we could introduce you."

"How about no? I highly doubt I'll ever settle," Sarah laughed, dragging them in, the bass pounding in the club. The other three rolled their eyes and started placing bets on what this month's flavor was going to be. Walking to the bar, they all ordered chardonnay, while Sarah ordered up two gin and tonics and downed them quickly, eyes roving the bar. A couple of guys approached her, having recognized her, and she wandered out to the floor with them.

"I'm betting that brunette that approached her first," Meg said wryly.

"Nah. Jake was a brunette. She'll dance with him, but she won't take him home. I'm thinking the blonde," Leigh chimed in, sipping her wine, lips pursed

"Nope. The guy before Jake was blonde. I saw pics. She's likely deleted them and burned the hard copies. I'm voting that redhead over in the corner. The one eying her like a side of beef. He's her type. And we all know, she's not going to find a new type tonight."

Sarah spun on the dance floor, enjoying the attentions the guys were giving her. A broad grin was spread on her face as she politely rejected the first two, and her eyes in fact lit on the redhead that Jess had said she would, finger crooked she beckoned him down to the dancefloor as yet another pulsing song started, grinding against him, and talking to him as they danced. The paparazzi hadn't noticed her bouncing around town, she kept such a low profile that she wasn't really fodder for them. What headline were they going to run "Single Actress out looking to date again"? She was too private for that.

The redheaded guy approached her and she took his hand, staring at his vibrant bright green eyes. Her friends were watching the spectacle, sighing, and staring at her, their glasses of wine draining quickly. She was up close to the guy, very obviously whispering in his ear until he kissed her. Meg and Leigh sighed, looking over at Jess.

"You win, again, Jess. You pick dinner the next time we all go out," Leigh sighed as Sarah dragged the man up to the bar with her.

"Girls, this is Aaron. We were going to go hit up another bar, did you want to go with?" She was beaming ear to ear, her modus operandi.

"Nah, we'll turn in. I'm sure you won't be out too too late," Meg shot her a knowing look. Sarah wouldn't be back to the suite tonight. They'd be lucky if they saw her before noon the next day. "At least text us if you're going to be out all night?"

"Of course I will," Sarah smirked, leaning heavily on her new round of boy toy. She handed Meg some cash for them to catch a cab back and got her card back from the bartender, signing for the round of drinks they'd had.

The three girls headed back to the hotel, whispering, worried about Sarah and how impetuous she was being, picking up a random guy at a bar in Vegas. Sarah leaned against him, kissing him soundly, before dragging him out the door and down the street to the next bar.

While they were out on the Strip, the lighting a bit better, he finally got a good look at her. "Holy shit you're…"

"Shhhh," Sarah held a finger to his lips. "If you say it too loud we'll never hear the end of it, and the fun will stop. I'll have to get in a cab and go back to my hotel and we'll never see where tonight could go." She glanced over at him, a smouldering look in her eyes.

His smirk grew, he was going to manage to score with one of the hottest women in Hollywood, even if she was a bit older than him. It paid off to ditch his buddies to take off with her. They bounced from bar to bar until nearly 2 am, then Sarah hailed a cab for them.

"If you want, I have a second room at the Paris… you're welcome to come and have some more fun with me," she winked at him, arms wrapped around his neck, gazing up at him.

"More than anything," he was more than willing to follow her to the ends of the earth, he'd be the envy of his friends.

Climbing into the cab, she told the driver where to take them and then texted Meg to let her know she was safe but wouldn't be back up in the main suite, and the room number she WOULD be in, for the morning. Leaning in, she kissed Aaron forcefully before leaning in and huskily whispering, "So where do you live?"

The short ride to the hotel was filled with quiet conversation about where they were both living, Sarah was surprised to find out he was from a town in Rhode Island near where she'd grown up, and that he was attending UNLV as a Master's student. Nestling against him, she let his strong hands roam over her curves.

The cab pulled up to the Paris and Sarah paid for the trip, giving the cabbie a generous tip and a wink asking him to please be discrete. They breezed into the lobby and straight to the elevators, Sarah pressing the button for the floor her private suite was on. As soon as the doors were closed, Sarah pulled Aaron closer, biting his lip a bit and unbuttoning the top button of his shirt.

The doors slid open and she pulled the room key from her purse. She'd never had any intention of heading back to the room upstairs, so she'd tucked that key away in her actual wallet, buried. Opening the door, once they were in she latched the security bolt, flicking the bathroom light on for a bit of light before walking over to the window and throwing the curtains wide open.

"Gorgeous, isn't it?" she smiled, gazing at him to see what he thought of the view. She couldn't see something with someone that couldn't stand the beautiful views of the Strip lit up at night.

"Holy shit. I never knew it looked like this from up here."

"One of my favourite views," she pulled the curtains mostly shut, before stepping towards him again, a panther on the prowl. "Then again… the one in front of me isn't half bad either."

A low chuckle escaped Aaron as he wrapped his arms around Sarah's waist, pulling her into his embrace and forcefully kissing her. "How about we lose the dress," his voice had gone low and demanding.

"Mmmm. I knew I liked you for a reason," Sarah's confidence was unshakeable, her voice a purr as she continued working on the buttons of his shirt. "But I think you've got a bit more work to do than just demanding I lose the dress."

She'd teased the dress shirt's buttons open, pushing the polyester blend off his shoulders. Pure sign of a college student, not the rich business guys she'd been dating lately. She'd slip his ID out of his wallet and get his last name and anonymously pay for a couple of his classes, if he played his cards right. Pushing him backwards, he landed sitting on the bed and she straddled him, leaning heavily into his lap, her breasts pushed up by her upper arms as she wrapped her hands together behind his neck.

"So… where were we?" the lust growing behind her eyes flashed a bit in the reflected lights from the outside. On the railing, a barn owl landed, peering inside the room, its feathers ruffling as it saw her hair shaking as she ground in the lap of the younger man.

Aaron's hands roved up Sarah's back, and caught the zipper of the dress. She kissed him quick and hard as he slid the zipper down, loosening the dress, and then stood, turning to lay Sarah on the bed. She'd kept in shape and kept her weight way down, constantly exercising and not indulging, at least not on food.

Grabbing the top of the dress, he started peeling it down her, freeing her braless chest, a coy, enchanting look on her face. Switching to tug the dress down from the hem, he slipped the little black dress down her body, shimmying it to get past her hips. Sarah lay, mostly exposed, a thin pair of tiny sheer black panties the only thing covering her. Aaron inhaled a sharp breath at how stunning she really was. He'd never thought he'd even brush with celebrity, let alone get this far with one. Leaning over her, he kissed her, his hands running down her sides, clumsy and nervous.

Sarah loved this part of the game with the unsuspecting boys that were afraid of her being a celebrity and suddenly stopped treating her like she was just another girl. Sitting up on her elbows, she smirked at him before sliding off the edge of the bed to her knees, and unbuttoning his pants. Slipping them down, she could see the outline of his cock in his boxers. A crooked smirk crossed her face as she slid the front edge of the boxers down just enough for him to spring free before she lightly licked the tip, a sharp inhale escaping above her. A chuckled purr and she licked her lips before sliding him as far into her mouth as she could, her eyes rolling back into her head just a bit at how much she enjoyed this. She smiled a bit as she pulled back before sliding back down even further, his hands tangling in her hair.

Finally pulling back away from him, she stood, walking over to the nightstand and grabbing a condom from the box she'd purposefully stashed there hours ago, opening the wrapper and rolling it down him while she kissed up his neck. He could barely contain himself as he slid his jeans the rest of the way off, kicking his sneakers away, his boxers following quickly before his fingers went back to the small straps riding low on Sarah's hips. She smirked and hooked her thumbs in next to his hands, sliding them down just enough that gravity took over and she stood there in her black patent leather heels and nothing else.

Stepping backwards, she pulled him with her. "Please… fuck me," she whispered in his ear, her voice needy and wanting.

He didn't need her to ask twice. He gently ran his cock between her pussy lips a couple of times to check that she was wet enough before plunging in and hearing her groan in happiness. Sarah ground her hips upwards in time with his thrusts, happy sighs escaping the further in he managed to hit, until she cried out "oh. Fuck. Right there. Just keep…" before her body shuddered underneath him, her spasming muscles too much for him to handle after her mouth had worked its magic. Groaning, he spilled, collapsing a bit on to her.

Sarah giggled a bit and gently kissed him. "You up to a shower, loverboy?" her fingers lightly trailed up his arms. They got up, still not looking outside, and headed for the bathroom.

The owl ruffled its feathers again, and took off into the sky, a crack of lightning crashing through the air before it disappeared.


	2. The First Mistake

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended. (x)**  
Gliding through the air over the castle, Jareth landed easily in the highest tower, a foul mood raging through him. All these years of waiting to head back and find her. And find her he had, in the arms of another man, mostly, time and time again. None of them ever the same, and never had they looked remotely like him. There had, at one point, been a blond man he had seen her with, but he looked nothing like the Goblin King, the eyes had been too dark, too mundane.

Storming down the stairs, he roared into the throne room, punting one of the random balls the goblins had taken to leaving around hard enough to send it flying out the window and elicit a screech from the goblins that were in the room. He picked up a small marble statue that was on a pedestal in a nook and launched it against the wall, watching it shatter, his anger going with it.

He wandered out the front door of the castle and into his Labyrinth, nearly tripping over Hoggle who was working the gardens.

"Hogwart, tell Finnian I'll be back. Late," his voice was gruff. No worse than Hoggle was used to, but the fits of grouchiness seemed to be more frequent, and tied to whenever his Majesty had spent time Aboveground. He'd been suspicious that the king had found the girl again, but he wasn't going to rock the boat and say anything… not yet. That first year, eighteen years ago, had been awful. And he certainly wasn't going to tell him that the girl still spoke to him regularly, checking on everyone, including the moody, fit-driven Goblin King.

"I keep tellin' ya, goin' to spy on her just makes ya more mad, your Majesty. You're not doin anyone here any favors doing it either," the groundskeeper groused, as respectfully as he could.

"Higgle, when I feel like I need your advice, it will be a sad day in this kingdom. Just tell my castellaine I'll be home, late, and to keep my meetings to a minimum tomorrow," he stalked off out of the building and rushed through the Goblin City.

Wandering into a rarely used part of the Labyrinth, one that runners almost never got to, he started walking the familiar circles and rows of the contemplation maze within, the lavender standing nearly four feet high now. The light scent of the sixty types of the flower waived on the wind, soothing the near savage thoughts he was having.

"She's her own woman you idiot. If you would have just properly gone to her fifteen years ago, when she was finally ready to realize what you were asking, this wouldn't be an issue, but you blew it then with the way you handled that rash wish. Instead, you seem to think that torturing yourself watching her intermittently is the way to go about it. I suppose you could just put yourself out there, try to make it as one of her conquests" he grumped, finally reaching the center pool and the benches surrounding it.

Sinking down next to the water, Jareth pulled his glove off and let his fingers trail in the cool water. The spring that fed this pond was a gentle, deep, cold one, and the water itself was calming. Few of his kind really liked the calming effect of the waters, and while he normally did not, this spring was different. This was HIS spring, he was the only one that ever touched it, ever thought of it.

"No, she'd reject you in a heartbeat," he sighed, pulling his hand from the waters and folding it under his head, staring at the sky. Watching the stars, his breath was soft and even. Eventually, his eyes drifted closed.

As Jareth drifted off to sleep in the calm spot he'd made for himself, he found himself dreaming of the scene he'd witnessed so many times, Sarah laying curled in another man's arms while he gazed in from the outside, mentally cursing the fact that he'd managed to mess this one up so thoroughly. He found himself wandering out of his own dream, and fading into one where he stood in the corner of a bar, watching all the people bustle about until his eyes landed on Sarah and she smiled, the joy beaming all the way up to her eyes.

"Hey! Over here!" she waved and called to him, beckoning him to her hi-top table. On the table sat two drinks, one Sarah had obviously been drinking, a gin and tonic, the drink he'd so often noticed her ordering, the other a glass of a deep red wine, one that was so reminiscent of the fey wines he'd drunk so many bottles of over the first few years, trying to drown his sorrows over the screw-up.

"Sarah, I-"

"Sit down, enjoy your wine Jareth. Let's talk. I know you've been watching me. You've always been watching me. There's a reason that vanity is in my bedroom you know," she smirked at him, bringing her drink to her lips. "And I think you know nothing is going to change me."

"Sarah, you're on a self destructive spiral."

"Not really. Maybe with the guys, yeah," the dream-shade of Sarah said. "But really? No. This little fling? That cutie I found last night… I honestly don't even think he'll outlast the end of Vegas. He's too… shiny. Young. Enthralled with the idea of bedding a celebrity. He'll go back home and brag to his buddies. I don't even think he's getting my number, to be honest. But I'll pay for some classes for him, he was good enough."

She took a sip of her drink and waived for him to do the same. "You're not getting out of this until you finish that drink. You're the one that wandered into my dream. Not the other way around. You should be more careful Goblin King, you don't want to be my next mistake, do you?"

The world spun around Jareth as he finally took a sip of the wine, and when he went to set it down, the table, and the glass for that matter were gone, and they were standing in his ballroom, Sarah in a tight, black evening gown, a small piece of jasmine tucked behind her ear, her eyes smouldering as she stared him down. He found himself compelled to walk to her and take left hand in his right, his left on her waist as the strains of a tango started playing through the air.

Their closeness was almost too much for him to bear, he could smell the light scent of lavender, jasmine, peaches, and summer rains on the breeze as he held her close, the familiar steps of the dance carrying them through the motions. She smiled up at him the entire time, her mouth moving in words, but no sound escaped, it looked like she had started saying I wish but he couldn't be sure.

Another song swelled, a traditional waltz and they swayed into it, Jareth pulling her just a little closer, not wanting to let her weight, the weight he'd spent nearly two decades missing, go. She continued gazing up at him, as though he was the only person in her world, the only person that would ever be in her world.

As the music stopped, Sarah stood on tiptoe to kiss him lightly. Her eyes were a little sad as she gazed back up at him, her eyes misting with tears a bit.

"As nice as that was, you're not supposed to be my mistake," her voice faded on the breeze as she disappeared, and his eyes opened.

The sun had well and fully set by the time he sat up sighing, eyes wild with panic at having lost her again, a piece of jasmine laying on the ground next to him. The smell of peaches and summer rains still hung in the air, and he was bewildered as he picked up the fallen flower.

"How in the hell?" he sighed, standing and shifting back to his owl form to fly back to the castle and actually go to bed. "Not supposed to be your mistake my ass. I shouldn't be a mistake at all," he groused as he landed and walked to his rooms.

Climbing in bed, he tossed and turned until he finally decided he was up for at least a while and padded barefoot and shirtless to his study. She shouldn't have been able to call him to her dream. She shouldn't have been able to tell he was there, and yet, she did and could. He'd thought she'd caught him in her courtyard earlier that week. After the last explosive breakup he'd witnessed. She truly was a fierce woman, and she knew what she wanted. Unfortunately, none of her string of lovers had been able to give it to her. He'd headed to check on her, concerned at her wellbeing in the aftermath, and had heard her plotting with her friends. The only mistake that had happened was following her and actually witnessing her with one of her legion of lovers.

He pulled the first of many volumes down and started reading through the histories to see if there had ever been tale of a human woman managing to invade and pull the Goblin King into her own dreams. There hadn't been many Goblin Kings before him, partially owing to the lifespans his kind had, partially owing to the fact that not many would have wanted the job. Wished away human children weren't always the easiest, and not many had the temperament to deal with them. He found himself preferring the very young and the considerably older ones, because they were less likely to throw a tantrum and scream like a typical goblin.

He poured through the books, summoning himself cup after cup of coffee, mostly as a distraction and something to drink while reading, and less for the caffeine, as it had no effect on him what-so-ever. Nothing came to fruition, even after reading the personal journals of the previous four kings. The fifth king, the first Goblin King… his journal was something Jareth didn't relish opening, because if misread or spoken too freely about, it could unleash a series of particularly nasty horrors into the Labyrinth again. Simply because they'd been there when he'd tamed it.

Sighing, Jareth opened the book, and started reading, until he found it. The reference to a girl, red haired but with eyes the color of pale cut emeralds, who could summon the first king to her dreams with but a whispered wish on the winds. Jareth leaned back in his chair reading what the king had said of her, paying particular attention to what the king himself had wanted of her. The girl had been the object of his affection. Not from first sight seen, not the way his Sarah had enchanted him, no. She'd outwitted him, not beaten his Labyrinth, because she'd not run it. She'd been nearly an adult and wished away, and had outwitted him and escaped, not to be adopted out as the child of others of his kind. Once he'd found her again, he'd given her a decent amount of power to be able to summon him at the mere wish of his presence.

Over time, she wished for him to appear, more and more frequently, until she kissed him, and offered him a gift. A peach, full ripe and begging to be devoured. At that point, he'd realized he had found his queen and had brought her back to the Goblin Kingdom as his wife, and they'd been a terrifying pair, she had been nearly as wicked in thought as he had been. Sighing, Jareth closed the journal rubbing his temples. This job had never particularly been a family job, but the first Goblin King had been tangentially related to him, a great-great-grandfather or further removed uncle of a sort, he'd never truly been completely sure. He'd just been told the stories of how the king's nightmares had torn him limb from limb in the Labyrinth.

Having read the line about the peach as proffered by the first Queen, he had to wonder how much was fate and how much was coincidence as he thought back to the dream he'd given Sarah. Maybe she really was his perfect match, and he was just being ridiculous with regard to being her 'next mistake' as the dream shade had proclaimed him. Heavens knew no other human had ever pulled him into their dream the way she had.

"I could hope that you wouldn't be as dangerous for me," he sighed, thinking of Sarah. "Though… I should have to say that temperament has to do with everything regarding that which grows in the Labyrinth, and I certainly don't match those temperaments of old… nor the nightmares they wove."

Standing again, he walked to the balcony of his office and looked out over the Labyrinth. There were still some areas that were pitch-dark, and still likely housed some of the deadlier things the older kings had allowed to live there. He'd seen no reason to deal with all of it, not entirely, and it would have been too time consuming. He was a considerably more benevolent ruler than those of old, but now, now he would need to go to work to clear those areas again. It wouldn't do to have his Queen wander into those dark hallways, Sarah's face flashing before his eyes, a sparkling tiara seated on her hair. It would be a while still anyway, he thought, turning away from the Labyrinth again, and heading back to his room, finally tired enough to sleep again.


	3. Pretty Mistakes

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended. (x)**

Sarah had, true to her thoughts, found a way to get Aaron's last name and pay for a couple of classes as a thank you for the night they'd had. She'd not given him her number, but she'd found his and written it in her book, a neat red x next to it. He wasn't getting another go round, and he'd all but thrown a tantrum in the hotel room when she'd said it had been fun, but they both needed to get back to reality. She'd dared him to trash the room on her dime with a glare.

The drive back to her home with the girls had been nearly silent, but she'd given them all of Saturday, no clubs no dates, and all day Sunday to yell at and chastise her for her perceived irresponsibility.

"Sarah, we're just worried about you. You're not getting any younger, you know. It's time to settle down," Jess smiled weakly at one of her best friends. The girls were worried about her, no more than they had when they'd all been single and ready to party in LA, all aspiring actresses, taken in by Sarah's charm and wit.

"I appreciate it Jess, I really do, but it's just not me. We all know it. I'm like Belle, looking for that adventure out in the great wide somewhere," she smirked, chucking at the childish reference to the Disney classic. "Maybe one day, but it's not going to be anytime soon. Thanks for going with me. Next time, I promise girls weekend will be at my house OR in San Diego."

Sarah hugged the girls tight, a gentle smile directed at them in general as they piled into Meg's minivan for the trek back to San Diego, a couple hours south. Slipping in her door, Sarah deactivated her alarm, and tossed her bag in her bedroom. Wandering into the kitchen, she poured a glass of shiraz and lounged on the couch. Toby was flying in Wednesday for this weekend, and she'd promised she'd take him to Disneyland for a day or two before they went to the premiere on Saturday. Laying back on the couch, she sighed.

"Well, that was a great fuck, but nothing relationship wise. Ugh, maybe the girls are right," she sighed, silently wishing she knew what to do. She'd learned better than wishing out loud, after the first time she'd wished a boy regretted the pain he'd caused her and he had… and so had she. That was the last time she'd seen HIM in person.

She'd been eighteen, and the hurt of the first breakup she hadn't initiated was the worst emotional turmoil she'd ever been in. And then, in her fit of wishing out loud that the boy would hurt as much as she did, Jareth showed up at her school, that perfect smirk of his on his face, and in front of the boy, kissed her. Her eyes nearly bulged and the boy had a total breakdown that a guy that looked like a rockstar had strode in (from his vantage point) and kissed her passionately.

Sarah had never made another wish out loud again. But she had learned how to be the one always shattering the other lover's dream first. And she had run with it, being just sweet enough to draw them in, before shattering their dreams of white picket fences and a dog. Sarah wasn't white picket fence material anyway. Wrought iron fences? Maybe. She honestly thought she was more of a ramshackle crumbling stone wall kind of girl.

Sitting back up, she wandered with her glass back into Toby's room, the one she'd made it a point to set up for him so he knew how special he was to her. Confirming everything was in order and it'd been freshly cleaned she smiled a bit. Too bad they wouldn't be here the entire time. She'd have to remember to have Toby out for a few weeks this summer, they could hike and hang out, as long as she wasn't working. No scripts had come in lately, but she had told her agent she wanted a four month break after the film she'd just wrapped a few weeks prior, especially with the press junkets for the one premiering coming up.

Wandering through the house back to her own room, she sat at the vanity and called out for Hoggle.

"Oh uh, hi Sarah. What're you uh calling me for?"

"Just missed you guys. How is everyone?" she genuinely smiled at him.

"Fine. Just fine. Ludo's been working on new stacking configurations, askin the rocks to help with his house."

"Hoggle, you're acting funny," she laughed, peering around him to see, shockingly, Jareth standing behind him. "Oh. Well. I'll just let you go."

"Sarah, you don't have to, I was just leaving. Hogbrain here has been most helpful. We were just discussing the gardens," Jareth looked at her, his face a dispassionate mask.

"No, it's ok. I was just calling to let Hoggle know I was going to be gone most of the week," she rushed through her goodbye and closed the connection.

It had been a few years since she'd seen him in the mirror, and in that time she'd let her memories of him fade just enough to not believe he'd been as pretty as he'd been. Sarah sighed, leaning back against the chair of her vanity, before really looking in the mirror. She'd always known she was attractive, but there was something about her look now, older, wiser, and more devil-may-care, that was infinitely prettier in her opinion. Her lips were stained with a bit of the red wine, as though she'd put on a shade of burgundy lipstick.

"Seriously Sarah? You RAN from him just popping up in the mirror. Ugh. What an unmitigated child you really still are," she wasn't kind to herself over the panic she'd shown.

It was odd that she'd run from him today. In the past, the few times they had seen one another, they'd just sniped at each other, usually a treatise of not speaking being reached, but she was still very emotionally raw after the Jake fiasco had happened. She needed something just as disastrous and longer term, and she knew it. Sighing, she glanced over at her still packed suitcase and set about dumping it on the bed, throwing some new stuff in it, and calling her stylist, telling her to meet her at the house she kept in the old Hollywood Hills section of LA.

"Guess you are going back to LA for a bit," she sighed, downing the rest of the glass and steeling herself for the foray back to her wild world.

She threw the suitcase in her Corvette, and as she backed it out of the garage, she put the top down. She knew Toby loved riding in this car, so it was the perfect one to take back up to the hills. The house in the high desert was the one most of her cars stayed at, since she was there most of the time. She had a more practical one up at the house in the hills, mostly because when she was there, she didn't want the flash. This week, was all about flash though, she grinned. She had called her local housekeeper and let her know she would be up at the house in LA all week, and that everything was OK at this house, if she wanted the week off with pay, she was welcome to it, if she'd just check in on the house a couple of times. Sarah hated leaving her refuge, but it was time to go play for the paparazzi again.

The 405 was unusually empty for a Sunday, and she was able to fly, the normally 4 hour drive with traffic completed in less than 2 hours. As she pulled up to the gatehouse for the community she'd bought her second home in, she flashed a beaming smile at the guard.

"Hi Pete!" she bubbled, trying to keep her foul mood in check, wouldn't do to be mean to the guards. They kept the jerk photographers out.

"Hiya Ms. Williams! No Jake?"  
"Nah. He showed himself out last Monday, good riddance to bad rubbish, right? Glad to see you back though. Feeling better?"

"Much. Wife said the man flu was well worse this year, given it was a bad run of pneumonia. You have a good day Ms. Williams," he waived her in, opening the gate.

The Corvette purred as she wound up the streets to her modest home in the neighborhood. She didn't compare to some of her other neighbors, the really big stars in Hollywood, but she was holding her own. Pulling into her garage, she shut the door behind her as the engine of the Corvette cooled. Tromping up the stairs and into the home, she headed straight for the master bedroom to throw her bag on the floor. She hadn't needed to pack much because she had a half full closet here too.

She rifled through the closet until she found a cute outfit to go out in, and headed for one of her favourite bars that a group of her acting friends hung out in regularly. As she walked in the door, she could hear a loud wolf whistle and a yelled "look what the cat dragged in!" from her right.

Turning, she laughed and headed over to the beaming blonde man and his equally grinning partner. Sliding on to a bar stool at the table, she laughed, waving the waitress over.

"Gin and tonic, twist of lime, light ice, please," she smiled.

"Preference on the gin?"

"Surprise me. And no charging premium price for well, you know I'll taste it Lacey," she winked at their regular waitress before turning her attention to her acquired companions.

"Duke, Casey. Am I glad to see you guys!"

The two men looked at her, trying to figure out her angle.

"Jake ditched you, didn't he honey," Duke grasped her hand. "We TOLD you he was trouble."

"You tell me they're all trouble, sweet talker. I'm not that torn up, but I certainly do need a new distraction. My little book is all out of new numbers," she laughed as the drink was slid in front of her, Lacey's hand lingering a little too long.

Turning, Sarah's eyes caught the waitresses. "When are you off today Lacey?"  
"When you guys cash out," a wink and a laugh from the girl they'd befriended over the years.

Sarah tossed a fifty on her tray. "Does that cover these lushes? Get one of the other girls to cover us and come on and sit with us," a sparkle in Sarah's eye.

As the waitress laughed and wandered off to go cash out her last tab and get changed into another outfit, the two guys Sarah was with laughed.

"Well that's ONE way to get over Jake," Casey almost fell out of his chair laughing.

"Oh shut up. You know as well as I do that what should have been college time wasn't ALL new experimentation. I just kept that shit quiet," Sarah sipped her gin, savoring the botanicals. This one tasted a bit off, like lavender and peaches. Shaking her head, she continued drinking it before Lacey walked back in, Sarah's jaw dropping a bit. Lacey slid on to the chair next to Sarah and the foursome laughed and drank the night away.

As they were all heading out, Sarah looked over at Lacey. "Hey, Lace… wanna come over to my place? We can keep the party going. You can follow me, if you want your car?"

"Sounds great Sarah," the young waitress smiled shyly. There was no way Sarah Williams was actually hitting on her, she thought.

They drove separately, Lacey following Sarah's Corvette in her own little beater. Sarah had to damn near fight with the gate guard to let Lacey's car, a threat to call the manager finally allaying him and he allowed both cars in. As Lacey pulled up to Sarah's house she was floored. It wasn't as monstrous as the mansions surrounding it, but the 3500 square foot house wasn't tiny either.

"Holy shit," she gasped.

Sarah smiled at her. "Wait til you see inside." The same twinkle as earlier in her eye.

A barn owl landed on a scrub tree just outside the property and Sarah shot it a dirty glare, taking Lacey's hand and pulling her closer, gently kissing her. The owl hooted softly and ruffled its feathers as Sarah and Lacey escaped into the house.

Sarah dragged Lacey through, showing her a large amount of the house, before leading her through her favourite door, the one that lead to the infinity pool and hot tub. The young waitress was in awe of the fact that one of her favourite customers, and a famous one at that, was showing her their sanctum sanctorum, and was being so affectionate. Sarah pulled her own top off, before wiggling out of her shorts and stepping backwards down into the hot tub.

"You should join me," she winked at Lacey, unclasping her bra and freeing her breasts.

Lacey wasted no time, stripping down to just her panties and gliding down the steps into the hottub with Sarah. More gentle kisses played between the two of them and eventually they found their way to Sarah's room, and fell into bed, tangling in one another's arms to fall asleep. They barely left Sarah's little estate until Wednesday when Sarah had to pick up Toby, the exception being Sarah forcing Lacey to go to the car dealer with her and at least pick out a newer car. The girl deserved it for all the hell Duke, Casey and she had put the girl through over the years.

Toby was fine with Sarah's latest adventures when she introduced Lacey to him, back at the house. She'd called her a friend at the airport, when the paparazzi could hear things. They'd been careful to not show too much affection, and she WAS a friend. The days at Disneyland had been a fun adventure for Toby, he'd only gone when he was much smaller and now, he was well more equipped to enjoy the fun of both parks. The Saturday had been mostly boring while Sarah was primped and preened for the red carpet, and Toby just put on the tux she'd bought to match her dress. Lacey had headed off back to work for the weekend, driving her new car the day before, a kiss and a whispered promise to be back Saturday night before Sarah was.

Sunday rolled around and Sarah and Lacey took Toby to the airport, and then headed back to the LA house, lounging around together the rest of the day, and extending it for another six weeks. Sarah started getting calls from her agent, and he sent her over a series of treatments for upcoming movies to look at, while Lacey continued working as though nothing had changed. She knew how volatile Sarah's relationships were, and that they weren't long term, but it didn't keep her from falling and falling hard.

Eventually, the tabloids ran some picture of Sarah out to dinner with some nobody guy, and Lacey had lost it, screaming at Sarah, who started sobbing and said it was one of the producers for a movie she was thinking of taking, one that would have kept her in LA proper for a few months.

"Lacey, I… I think we need to stop," Sarah's voice was heart-wrenching as she tried to calm herself, her back to Lacey, staring out the window, eyes catching that same barn owl she'd seen the night their relationship had started. She sighed a bit at the sight of him. Always watching her fall to pieces.

"Yeah. We do," Lacey sighed, exasperated that Sarah couldn't see what she was doing. "I should have known you'd be like this, I've watched the guys you've spit out at the bar. I'll see you next time the three of you come in. It was fun while it lasted. No hard feelings, ya know."

The blonde girl kissed Sarah's cheek one last time as she walked out, leaving the brunette beauty staring out the window, cheeks tearstained, eyeliner running, staring at the owl, who took off as Lacey's car started down the road.


	4. Mistaken Dreams

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended. (x)**

Jareth sat on the tree, watching the latest in the string of people Sarah had dated drive away, and took off following her a bit. He wanted to see where the girl was headed, but she'd just headed back to her own apartment, and when she'd climbed out of the car, she had obviously been crying while driving home despite the cold demeanor she'd shown his Precious. Turning sharply, he headed for another break to the Underground and flew back through, gliding into his aerie again, a pensive look on his face. She was hurting and was taking it out on everyone she knew. Instead of her calling him, he was going to force his way in this time, and their conversation would be on his terms, not hers.

The leather soles of his boots slapped as he nearly ran down the stairs to the main hall, and very nearly crashed into his adviser.

"Milord, I apologize. There's been an incident…"

Jareth sighed, turning to face the other man. "What happened Finnian?"

"The fox knight… he is severely injured."

"Send the best healer out to him. He always survives, once we get his injuries tended to," Jareth rubbed his hand against his temple, sighing. "Have him brought back here as well, I'd like to make sure he's ok. Sarah… will need him."

"Majesty?"  
"It's nothing Finnian, just have the fox tended to, in our hospital wing. I'll be in my orrery, I need the quiet and the stars tonight," he crossed the hallway and started up a different set of stairs. "Don't expect me down anytime tonight. I need some time."

Jareth nearly ran up the stairs to the room he spent time wandering through dreams in, trying to find those that needed the push to make their wish, but tonight was for a specific dream, a dream that was going to be led by him, and not the other way around.

The fireplace in the room was already roaring, as it always did the instant it sensed his feet on the stairs, the room comfortably warm. A chair sat next to the plush chaise lounge he laid on as he wandered through people's dreams, and he sat in the chair to unlace his boots and slide them off, before stretching his long, thin frame out on the chaise, hands tucked behind his head to start his adventure through Sarah's dreams.

The night air floated in through the window, carrying with it the faint smell of lavender, summer rains, peaches and jasmine again, and he found himself fading into the dreams being dreamed aboveground. The way was murky with dreams that he probably ought to be attending to, putting the seed of the wish into, even if it was for years and years down the road, but he was winding his way through, looking for the one dream he needed to be in that night. Finally he found it, he could feel the gentle pull of Sarah's unconscious reaching out for him, and he stepped into her dream.

She was standing on top of a cliff, gazing out over the horizon, a light blue dress wavering in the wind, her long black hair caught in the breeze as well, lightly wafting. Jareth walked up behind her, clearing his throat.  
"Sarah, we need to have a real conversation."

"There's nothing to talk about, Jareth. I'm happy with the course of my life. I'm not concerned about it at all, I'm safe when I go about my little games."

"And you are tearing yourself apart emotionally, or is that fine as well."

"I wouldn't think you'd have been concerned about my emotional well being. You certainly weren't when I was eighteen and you pulled that stunt in my school," she turned to face him, her green eyes as solid as the stones they mirrored as she stared at him. "Go back to your castle, your Labyrinth. Leave me my friends, and try not to darken my mirror."  
She tried to force him from her dream, and he grabbed her hand, stopping the push away she was doing. Pulling her slightly closer to him, and away from the cliff, he looked down at her, his face betraying how serious he was in the conversation.  
"Sarah, you said you needed all of us. So we're here, the Underground isn't just something you can deny you know, not in your heart. You kept your memory, which is rare to begin with. It probably had to do with how much you bonded to those three troublemakers. What are you running from?"

"I'm not running from anything. I'm having fun, Jareth. Something you don't seem to understand. You should try it sometime. Loosen up, stop being so stiff. I'd almost recommend you stop being so hung up on me, but you're definitely less judgmental than my so-called friends, who do nothing but lecture me about the dangers of going out all the time," she sounded tired of hearing the same thing over and over, and her words cut to his core, she almost knew he was bordering on obsessively watching her.

"Sarah…" he sighed, looking down at her. He could smell the summer rains on her, and when he blinked, the damned piece of jasmine was tucked behind her ear again, and her dress was just a bit more formal, a long chiffon gown in the same light blue she'd been wearing before. They were still on the bluff in the field they had always been, but as he looked around, he could see tents with a large party going on under them.

She smiled up at him a bit. "Our dances have always been great, but can I have a rain check this time? I'm still reeling from Lacey," her voice was soft, eyes far away. "You might be right that I need a break, I've got another movie coming up, won't likely have time for many shenanigans. I'll see you again, maybe sometime soon, and I promise you can have that dance then."

Standing on her tiptoes, she lightly kissed him, taking his left hand in both of hers, pressing something into it, before managing to fade away from him, the words I wish fading on the wind. Always the beginning and never the full wish, his mind screamed at him. Wandering his way back to his own conscious, he pushed the knowledge of the wish and the goblins into a few people's subconscious that would need it a few years down the road.

When his eyes opened, his left hand was at his side, fist clenched. Opening his hand, there was a note, and another piece of jasmine.

"That damnable woman," he groused, sitting up and opening the note.

Jareth, one day we'll both truly understand all of this. It's not that I don't appreciate what you're trying to do for me, I just… I need my time and space. Even if I don't ever say it out loud: thank you for watching out for me. I'd be lying if I didn't say I appreciate it. Sarah

Her handwriting was as gentle as she really was inside and he sighed. She did still need him, but she needed him from afar. Turning to the side, he slipped his boots back on and laced them, before he stepped onto the balcony and looked out. The sun had started to rise and the dwarf that tended his gardens was already stirring. He shifted back to his owl form to swoop down and see the dwarf, and ask a favor. Jareth wondered if he was making a big mistake.

As he landed and turned back to his tall, lanky form, he looked down at the dwarf. "Hoggle."  
"It's… oh. You got it right. That means you want somethin' big. What do you want?"  
"If I give you an enchanted hand mirror and a chance to pop aboveground and see the girl, would you take it?"

"Why on earth are you givin' her a hand mirror?"  
"She can't exactly take her vanity to her new 'movie' set. She'll likely take the one where the cast and crew are going to be secluding themselves for months on end. And, I'd like for you to check in with her every so often. The only other thing I ask is that you give her this note," Jareth's face was a mask of stoicism, no hint of emotion, but Hoggle knew he was worried about Sarah, just from the agitation that had happened time and time again when he'd visited the girl.

"You think she'll take a gift from you?"

"Why do you think you're delivering it?" Jareth glared down at him, holding both a mirror and a note in his hand, out of nothing.

"Fine. I suppose I'll just add messenger to my job titles then," Hoggle grumbled taking them, and turning away. "You know, you could just say somethin' nice to her next time she's in the mirror. She'd probably like that."

Jareth turned away, not retorting that he didn't need the mirror to talk to her if he really wanted to, and shifted as quickly as he could before gliding back up to the castle, where his castellaine waited for him.

"You were right about the fox. He was asking for you," Finnian looked at the king, who had a bit of a wild, worn edge to him as of late, likely related to the amount of time he'd been spending aboveground, chasing the girl that had beaten him.

"I'll head to speak with him now, thank you Finnian," Jareth stalked up the stairs and took a hard right as soon as he was in the door, to the medical room of the castle, where Sir Didymus lay in a bed, nursing a very wounded right arm.

"Didymus, what did I tell you about trying to fight those nightmares on your own. We only managed to hold some of them back because there were two of us," the Goblin King leaned in the doorframe, looking down at his long time friend in the bed.

"Your majesty, they encroached on to the bog again. The barriers are weakening, probably because of how little time you're spending here, and even less attention to what needs be dealt with," the fox shot a knowing look at him. "I know you hope she would see sense one day, and one day soon, but you have plenty of time for her to realize her mistake."

"I fear I may not, she's spiralling out of control. Not that she was ever all that controlled to begin with, but at least she wasn't playing dice with her life, yet," he sighed stepping further into the room and sitting at the bedside. "Hoggle is taking her a hand mirror, and I can only hope she takes the time she's off wherever for this acting thing she is doing and thinks about her own health. I can't help but think this is all my fault for having placed that seed all those years ago."

"Majesty, if I may speak frankly?"  
"Didymus, despite your indiscretion with that specific runner, you have never done anything to betray your right to speak as an equal," Jareth was slouched in the chair, head tipped back pinching the bridge of his nose trying to stave off the headache he knew was coming with Didymus's next comment.

"You did not cause this, nor should you be forcing yourself to bear the brunt of the pain. It has been near twenty years you have been harboring that self loathing for what you perceive you've done. I should like to point out, you've done nothing other than prove to our dear Sarah that she could stand up to the people she is courting."

"It would be different if she was actively courting someone, Didymus. I could LIVE with that, as crushing as it might be if it weren't me, but at least she would have someone else watching out for her wellbeing, and I could relax some."

The knight looked over at his liege lord, sighing. "Jareth, when you first took the chore of clearing the Labyrinth on, after you had won its challenge, you came to me back in your parents kingdom, and asked for my advice. And my advice now, is the same as it was then. One day at a time, one step at a time. She'll either come around, or she won't. You have the time to wait for her. It's not as though you're going to fade from existence tomorrow, your Majesty."  
The Goblin King sat upright and looked over at the knight he'd known since his youth. "Didymus, you know I hate it when you're right. Even more so when you're talking actual sense. Promise me you'll stay closer to the castle for a few days. I'll send one of the guard units to clean up the Bog. You're stuck here for at least 2 more anyway," Jareth's tone was one of warning that he wouldn't be happy if he was defied.

The fox huffed a little, dismayed at the request. "Yes your Majesty, if that is your desire."

"You owe me a few more centuries of assistance," Jareth winked, standing. "Rest well Didymus. If you need me, just have someone send for me."  
He turned and strode out of the room, and headed for his study to go through the paperwork that had lain neglected for some time. As he sat behind the desk, his adviser walked in carrying another pile of documents for his review.

"You know, you shouldn't let all of this pile up like this, your Majesty. It's starting to become unmanageable, you only looking at paperwork once a week. Things are building up excessively."

"Finnian, there are more important things than reviewing and signing off on writs. Like dealing with all the issues starting to crop up and creep back out into the Labyrinth. I'll need the Captain of the Harpies sent to me, if you could please. I need to have the Bog cleared again, and I'm not allowing Didymus out of the castle until it's done. Please have him come here immediately," Jareth said, head bent over the document he was reviewing.

The younger fae left the room to go find the Captain of the most elite unit the Goblin Kingdom had. The king meant business if he was sending them to deal with this. Jareth continued working through the pile of paperwork until he heard someone clearing their throat in the doorway.

"Come in Riordan," he said, not looking up, still scouring a document.

"Finnian said you needed me, Majesty?"  
"Yes. Some of the nightmares have gotten into the Bog again. Take your men and clean them up. Full destruction, if you would. I'll be preparing to work on their strongholds further over the next few weeks, as well. If you can let the Raven's Wing and Gryphons know to meet me in the training grounds, I would appreciate it," Jareth never even looked up.

"Yes, sire. Though, are you sure about this?"

Jareth finally looked at the Captain of the Harpies, "We'll all need the distraction for a while, and I don't think things are going to get better until we've dealt with all those shades."

"Yes your Majesty."

"You are dismissed, and thank you."

The captain of the elite unit left as quickly as he'd arrived, and Jareth leaned back in his chair sighing, hoping Sarah would accept the gifts from Hoggle. He knew she wouldn't take them if he had left them for her, but she needed to still have that contact with her friends, and he needed to not intrude at this point.


	5. Repeating Mistakes

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended. (x)**

Sarah lay in her bed at her desert home, staring at the third script her agent had sent her, the one that had the most promise. She had decided against the first two because they would keep her in L.A., and being that close to Lacey wasn't something she wanted, at least not right now. This one, though, would take her to the Italian Alps for a while, a nice getaway.

"Um. Erm. Sarah?" she heard coming tentatively through the mirror.

"Just a second, Hoggle," she called back, standing and walking over to it. "Did you need something? I'm figuring out my next project."

"Nothin' big. Just checkin' in on you. You ran pretty quick when you saw the rat the last time."

"I wasn't expecting him to be there, and I just wanted to talk. It's been pretty lonely here since Jake stormed out. I know I was pretty quiet when he was around. I just don't think any of the guys I've dated would get you guys, and I would feel awful leaving you for someone I'm just sleeping with. Speaking of… I might be gone for a year or so, heading to Italy to film," she bit her lower lip nervously.

"Yeah, the rat said you might do somethin' like that. Hang on. I'm gonna try and do this, he said I could…" Hoggle started to concentrate harder and slowly reached through the mirror, his hand slipping through the glass and out into Sarah's room. Shortly, Hoggle stood in her bedroom in person.

"Not as hard as I thought it would have been," he shrugged, self satisfied, before he reached behind his back and pulling a mirror out. "Now I know ya don't want gifts from Jareth, but he knows you need your friends, and he's worried, Sarah. He got my name right, he's that worried, but… could you not tell him I told you?"

Sarah smiled a bit, the knowledge that Jareth really was worried made her feel a bit better, even if she didn't want his interference in her life. She leaned down to hug the dwarf, and took the mirror from his hands.

"Oh. Uh. He also gave me this. I'll just set it on the desk, I suppose you'll read it when you feel ready to. Sarah, be careful. I'll have Ludo with me the next time I call over to you," Hoggle stepped to the vanity and set the letter on it before touching the mirror again and pushing himself back to the Underground, a concerned look on his face. "Please take that mirror with you and call us, Sarah. Even if it's just so we know you're safe."

"I will Hoggle… and if you figure out a way to tell him without betraying that you told me, tell Jareth I said thank you?"

"I'll try to, but he still scares me."

Sarah laughed a little as the connection faded and looked at the note on the vanity. She sighed as she picked it up and climbed into her bed again, stretching out, opening the folded sheet of paper.

Sarah, you said that one day we would understand all of this. I already understand a great deal of what your subconscious knows, and you are fighting against. You are welcome to come to me in your dreams at any time, and but say the word and I will come to you to talk, as a friend. Your health and safety are the most important things to me at this time. I acted rashly the last time, when you wished for that boy to hurt, and I apologize for that. I'm sure Hoggle told you the mirror was from me, I did not believe that you would accept the mirror from my hand as easily as you would his. Please keep in contact with your friends. They need you as much as you need them. Be safe, precious. Jareth

Sarah sighed at the note. She knew he'd been in her dreams lately, and that they hadn't been those dreams again, but new fresh dreams, and she'd taunted him. She hadn't realized that she had passed him a note.

"What in the hell is your subconscious doing to you?" she sighed, reaching over to pick up the phone and call her agent.

"Hey Brenda. Let them know I'm in for that one in the Alps they were chasing me for. I'm sure throwing myself into work is just what I need. Had another couple bad breakups. When do they want to start? I can be there next week." she quickly spouted to her agent.

They made their plans, Brenda was going to call the producers that had been chasing her, Sarah was going to start packing, and then she'd get a flight date and book her flight, and rent an apartment for a year. Smiling to herself, she pulled her biggest suitcase out and started filling it with comfortable clothes for the apartment she was going to be in. No distractions, no dating. Just her and some relax and repair time for her mind.

Wandering out to the kitchen, Sarah poured herself a glass of dry riesling, her favourite, and sat at the bar-top counter, thinking briefly. She pulled a second glass down and sighed, knowing she was doing something against her better interest, and said the words.

"I wish the Goblin King was here, right now."

She poured the second glass of wine as the courtyard door kicked open in a burst of wind, and he stood in the hallway a bit disoriented as he adjusted to where he'd been summoned to.

"Sarah, I did not think you would decide to do that so quickly."

"Sit down Jareth, you were right. We need to talk," her voice was quiet but solid.

He sat on the barstool next to her, thankful that he wasn't in the armour he wore for wish-aways. "We need to talk is it? Because, if I recall, the last time I tried that, you tried to shove me from your dream."

Sighing, Sarah pushed the glass of wine towards him. "I don't even know if you drink, but it seemed silly to not offer you a glass. If I did try to push you away, I'm sorry. Things aren't exactly perfect in my world, as you've seen. Probably repeatedly at this point."

"I have seen the merry go round of lovers over the last decade, yes. But I'm not here to judge you for that. What seems to be the issue, Sarah?"

"I've been trying to reconcile exactly how I felt at eighteen, when you kissed me. And no one lives up to it. So, I guess what I'm saying is… We'll talk, I'll talk, you'll listen, and maybe we'll see where we go. Not today, not tomorrow, but after I'm home from filming in the Alps. I'll be there about a year. But it's good to know that I can just call and you'll be here, if I really need you."

"Sarah, I am here when you need me, always," he said, looking at the glass, before picking it up and taking a sip. "I will say this, you and I have very different tastes in what is something worth drinking."

Sarah laughed. "This is one of my favourites, I'll have you know. It'll grow on you," her voice was light, her heart a little lighter to just be sitting and talking with someone that wasn't actively judging her.

The phone rang, and she jumped to run and answer it, as Jareth looked around her kitchen, taking in the simple decor scheme. Standing, he walked over to the refrigerator and opened it, looking inside, seeing the miserable amount of food she kept. When she walked back in the kitchen, he was muttering about taking care of herself and not eating garbage as he was looking through the pantry stuffed with snack cakes and other guilty pleasures.

"I barely eat that stuff, I just keep it on hand. I go out more often than not, there's some great restaurants in town, and if I'm feeling really froggy, I head down to Palm Springs and grab something," she leaned against the wall, having picked her glass of wine up again.

"You shouldn't be eating any of it at all… it smells like chemicals."

"That's what makes it great," she laughed. "It's called guilty pleasures."

"Sarah, I can not see how this would be in the least bit pleasurable," he sighed, as he looked back over at her. "So what was that phone call you got?"

"Brenda, my agent. Confirming the information for the movie. They're planning a pretty nice payday for me, so that's great, but I fly out Friday for Milan and then driving up to the town we're actually filming in," she slid back on to the bar stool.

"Are you happy?" His gaze pierced her, as he caught her eyes.

"Why wouldn't I be? I'm successful, I've got pretty much everything a girl could want. My family is great, my brother loves coming out to visit me," she shrugged, as she took another sip of her wine.

"But are you actually happy, Sarah?" Jareth crossed the room to sit on the bar stool next to her.

"That's a hard one to answer, to be perfectly honest," she sighed out. "To an extent, yes. Fully? Probably not."

"I would suggest you figure that out, for yourself. Maybe it will help you stop this self destructive spiral you have set yourself on the last few years," his gloved fingers wrapped around the glass as he lifted it to try another sip of the wine.

Sarah laughed a bit, as she looked him in the eyes, her wine glass resting just below her lips. "I can't get away from your telling it like it is, can I?"

"I never said I was going to be a nice friend, just a friend. And aside from that, it is something you need to hear."

"The lack of judgment in it helps, a lot, it's just dispassionate enough to not sound judgmental. And your keeping an eye on me makes me feel just a bit safer while I'm out being 'self destructive' in your words. So how much HAVE you seen?" her tone was light, her gaze pointed.

"Enough," he smiled a toothy grin, leaning back against the seat. "So what possessed you to look for a house so secluded?"

"Hiding from the paparazzi. They can be relentless," she sighed as she gulped the last of the wine in her glass down.

"Hiding from those that would stop your destructive behaviour seems more like it," he caught her eyes, and stared deeply into them. "I'm not siding with your friends, but I would like a small assurance that you will not dash off on some folly with a handsome Italian suitor."

"I will promise not to get into a prolonged adventure, how about that?"

Jareth levelled a knowing gaze at her. "I'd prefer promises of a sabbatical from any antics."

Sarah laughed heartily and looked over at him. "Toys don't cut it when the real thing's available, Jareth."

He moved to reply and instead took a couple of large gulps of his wine and stood. "Do not hesitate to call any of us, should you need us Sarah," he turned to walk away.

"Jareth," she called, as she stood and chased after him.

He stopped briefly and turned to look at her. "Yes Sarah?"

"Thank you," she whispered softly as she rose to her tiptoes and gently kissed his lips.

Jareth stepped back and was gone only seconds later, leaving Sarah standing in the wake of their conversation, a smug smile plastered on her lips.


	6. Mistakes Made

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended. (x)**

Jareth faded back in to the castle, and stood in his bedroom, looking around frustrated.

"That was unexpected," he sighed, sinking into a chair he kept in his room.

A knock sounded on the door and Finnian poked his head in, an annoyed look on his face.

"Your Majesty, the fox is asking for you. Asking is the wrong word… demanding your attention. That's the phrase," the exasperated aide sighed.

The Goblin King sighed again as he stood. "Thank you Finnian. I shall see him forthwith."  
The leather of Jareth's boots clapped against the stone as he loped down the stairs and hummed softly to himself.

"Didymus, you were demanding my attentions?" he groused as he walked in the room and attempted to keep a fearsome look on his face.

"I did Jareth, an hour ago. Where did you get off to?"

"Sarah called. It would have been rude not to respond," he replied, a goofy grin spread across his face.

"What did you do Jareth?"

"I talked with her, which was my intent when I had sent the hand mirror with Hoggle so she could continue talking to the three of you, and I may have included a note, as a reply to one she passed me in a dream."

"Jareth, I warned you to let things be the way they needed to."

"Didymus, you of all people know that I am utterly abysmal when it comes to leave and let be. And I didn't say anything inflammatory, I just told her we were all here for her should she need us, and not just you three. She's the one that took the initiative. She's going to Italy for her work, and has mostly agreed to stop her destructive spiral… mostly. That woman infuriates me sometimes, and in both the best and worst possible way all at the same time," Jareth sat in the chair next to Didymus's bed and leaned back. "How is that even something she should be capable of?"

"Jareth, we both know she was not an ordinary girl, and she certainly wasn't going to just accept what you were handing her without a fight. I will say this. She does ask about you, inquires to confirm you are still doing well, even eighteen years later. And yes, she is still mad about that stunt you pulled when she made that wish about that boy."

Jareth laughed a little. "She said as much last night, in her dreams. And then she called me and kissed me, after trying to shove me from said dream. She is really just a study in contradictions, and I'm not sure how to handle her to be honest."

"Jareth, you really are in over your head with her, I would just live and let live. You'll be miserable unless you do otherwise. If I thought I could convince you to, I would tell you to forget her. But it seems that you are both determined to keep remembering one another and keep torturing yourselves to do so," the knight adjusted his position in the bed. "Do I really have to remain confined to the bed for the next day or so? What if I promise to stay inside the castle?"

Jareth looked over at his long standing friend and sighed. "Didymus, you were far more hurt than I think you ever have been before. If the healers have said bed rest, then I regret to inform you that there is nothing I can do, even as king, to override that, as it is in your best interest. I'll see if I can have some books brought down to you, however."

"I would rather be able to get up and move around your Majesty," Didymus grumbled, a pointed look being shot at the Goblin King.

"And on that note, I shall see you tomorrow, Didymus," Jareth rose and climbed the stairs to his study.

As he sat at his desk, he started looking at the piles of paperwork he had left neglected the last few months. Restlessly, he began to dig through the insurmountable piles of writs and nothingness that he needed to, at the very least, review. As he read through the papers, he found himself mindlessly humming the song that he had sung to Sarah in the dream he had given her all those years ago for the second time that day. He stopped reading and looked up, half expecting Sarah to come breezing through the door, before shaking his head to clear the cobwebs and the furtive desire from coming through.

Jareth stood and walked to the balcony and leaned down, his elbows resting on the railing. As he looked out, he could see the areas that still needed clearing, and sighed again. There was a large amount of work to be done, and he wasn't sure that it would ever be completely finished. He pushed his magic out again, strengthening the barriers that kept the nightmares at bay, at least for now. He would need to remember to do this every single day, at least until he was able to figure out the final plan to defeat the remaining shades from that first king. He stepped back away from the balcony and sank onto the couch in his study and closed his eyes, the intention to just rest them a few minutes. As he dozed off, he could smell summer rains, peaches and jasmine again.

Sarah sat in the plush chair next to him, her feet on the ottoman, her head leaned against her right hand as she looked over at him.

"I wasn't aware this worked both ways," she chuckled, her eyes a little brighter since their conversation that afternoon.

Jareth lay on the couch still, eyes closed. "It would seem it does. I hadn't had the opportunity to test it previously, as not many have been worthy of my time beyond their time in the Labyrinth," his voice was wistful. "Why is it that we keep torturing ourselves, do you think?"

Sarah laughed a bit more. "I don't think it's torture, why? Does it feel that way to you, being around me? Torturous?"  
"Only the fact that you're not really here and we're not really going to resolve anything, not for quite a while it would seem. Beyond that, no. It's not torture to spend time with you Sarah. You're mentally stimulating for a start, and the obvious beauty doesn't hurt either. So what brings you to my dreams then?"

"I honestly couldn't begin to tell you. You were the one that invited me here this time, not the other way around, my darling Goblin King."

"Darling is it?" he replied sardonically.

"Would you rather I come up with a terrible nickname for you, that only I'm allowed to call you, Jareth? Really. You are darling and dear to me, so why not. But, no, I'm here for you this time. What seems to be bothering you?"

"Shades from the past it would seem. You showing up and being able to pull me to dreams, you being able to enter my dreams… the nightmares the last king to have a woman around that could do things like that invading my Labyrinth again."

"There's been more than one Goblin King?" her voice was a bit shocked.

"The first four were torn apart by those self-same nightmares, Sarah. I was the first to be able to actually garner some kind of control over them and lock them in specific sections of the Labyrinth, that only the worst of the worst wind up guided to during their runs. And I'm talking murderers, rapists and their ilk. The part that worries me most is that the last mortal that was able to do what you have… was worse than the king she fell in love with."

"Worse?" her voice was a bit scared of what that statement could bring.

"She was a vile, cruel woman, likely helped sort out the levels of nightmare that live in the darkest corners of the Labyrinth. They tore the two of them limb from limb, in the end. And damn near did that to the subsequent three. I just managed to outwit them, take control of the Labyrinth and clear a great deal out, with some help from Sir Didymus. The Bog was supposed to be his quiet retirement, but that fox certainly has a knack for getting himself in trouble," Jareth finally opened his eyes and looked over at her, a sad smile hidden behind the mismatched blue orbs.

He sat up and looked over at the raven-haired beauty in the chair next to him. "Take your space and time, Sarah. I will still be here."

Sarah stood and stepped towards him, taking his hand in hers, pulling him to stand. His six inches more of height loomed over her slight frame as she cupped his cheek in her hand and stood on tiptoe, crushing into him with a soul-stealing kiss. I wish he heard fluttered on the breeze again, an incomplete thought, not entirely sure if it was her wish or his he kept hearing any longer. The kiss lasted and when she stepped back, the piece of jasmine was behind her ear again, and they were in a field.

"Well that's new, you've pulled me from my dream over to yours with you," he smirked down at her before looking around.

They were standing in the field again, closer to the tents, Sarah in the pale blue chiffon dress she'd been in the last time.  
"I asked for a rain check," she smiled, standing on tiptoe again and kissing him. They could hear the music swelling from the tents, a four-piece string quartet playing some Vivaldi song Jareth couldn't pinpoint.

His arm wrapped around her waist as he took her right hand in his left, spinning and swirling in the grass with her, never letting his eyes lose contact with hers. She'd captured him, wholly, but she wasn't ready to give in on her side of the game. She wasn't his to chase and capture though. This was a decision for her and her alone. For now, he would have to be content with the time he did have with her.

The music began to fade, and she pulled him into another kiss, mouthing "I wish" against his lips, before sending him back to his own dream, and his own office.

As his eyes flew open, he could still smell the her on the air, and found a larger piece of jasmine twined around his wrist, blooms bursting from it. Sitting on his desk, a large ripe peach.

"Not her mistake indeed," he sighed, staring at the fruit.


	7. No More Mistakes

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended. (x)**

Sarah sat on the window bench and looked out the window of her apartment in Courmayeur, staring off in the distance towards the top of Mont Blanc. This apartment had been the best decision she had made in Italy, so far. The movie set was fine. The crew were great. The locals were polite, but standoffish. Probably for the better given her promise to Jareth. She had thought they'd come around and she'd eventually make friends, but her time in the small ski town had been quiet.

A small tear came to her eyes as she thought about how long she'd already been away from home, they were eight months into filming, and she'd not used the hand mirror as often as she had her vanity at home, the last time she had talked to her friends was three months before. There had been the one dream where she'd slipped into Jareth's dream, then carried him into her own for the dance, and she was still reeling from that. Sarah stood and walked across the room to pick up the hand mirror before she sat on her bed, the pillows built up behind her, and called to Hoggle.

"Sarah! We thought you'd forgotten all of us," his voice was a bit dismayed at how long it had been.

"Sorry Hoggle. I told Jareth I'd be well tied up on the set, he probably didn't pass it along. How is everything?"

"He's been on a tear, clearing out dark areas of the Labyrinth, coming back up to the castle bloodied and soot covered, but there's more of the Labyrinth open than I think I can even ever remember. Didymus was finally allowed back to the Bog. Took the Harpies a solid month to clear it, and then Jareth kept him in the castle another 4 months! Damnable nightmares were persistent. Ludo and I seem to be ok where we're at, the nightmares don't bother our outskirts. How have you been?"

"Lonely," she sighed, thinking of her friends… of Jareth. "If now's not a good time, I can always call back later."

"I think you would be better served to call Didymus. He's been worried about you. Bein in the castle five months, he had to listen to Jareth and all his annoying prattling. I'm sure a sweet voice like yours would be appreciated."

Sarah smiled a genuine smile, the first she'd managed since she'd gotten to the small town in the mountains.

"It's a deal. And Hoggle, be careful," she waved as she closed the connection to him and thought closely about Sir Didymus, willing him to the mirror.

"I say my Lady! It has been quite a while."

"How was your confinement with his Majesty?" she laughed.

"I worry about him. As I worry about you, my Lady. The two of you are playing with a fire you don't seem to realize you are."

Sarah laughed a little. "I think we're both well more aware of the flames we're dancing with than you think Didymus. One day I'll stop my destructive spiral, or I'll be dead, and he'll be free of me. Though I don't know that will be the best, final resolution to all of this, to be perfectly honest. The lick of a flame dancing across your skin is definitely more fun than any tame time I'd be able to find currently. I think he knew EXACTLY where I was heading and managed to bespell all the people in town to be against me," her voice was light and teasing. "But really. I appreciate the worry. I won't hurt him. He's not meant to be a mistake Didymus. No matter how many mistakes I seem to be capable of making. Don't let him push himself too far in those dark corners?"

"Are you actually concerned for his well being, my Lady?"  
"He's a friend, Didymus, of course I'm worried for him."

"No longer your avowed opponent, then? Hmm. Well my Lady. I will keep as much an eye on him as I can, I'm not generally allowed to go and galavant the dark areas of the Labyrinth with him, I'm retired, a point he continually makes."

"Thank you Didymus. Give Ludo my love," she smiled as she closed the connection and walked back to the window.

I wish floated on the air through her ears, and she turned to follow it, the scent of ripe peaches and jasmine pulling her along. As she opened the door of her bedroom, she found herself stepping into a garden, a large peach tree in the center, jasmine vines twining over a series of stony walls, a bench under the peach tree limbs. Sarah stepped forward and found her clothing instantly changing to a flowing white dress, and jasmine vines twined throughout her hair.

"This isn't foreboding at all," she sighed, as she sat on the bench, watching the room. The door to her apartment stayed, and she lay down on the bench, letting her hand gently trail against the moss and grass on the ground.

The room was a peaceful respite for her, and she took the time to think and relax, gazing at the peaches, thinking of the one she'd retorted to the last dream invasion with. When she pulled her hand up, she found jasmine vines twining all the way up her arm to her shoulder, the flowers bursting into blooms as she simply thought of it. The smell of summer rains came unbidden to her, and she stood, a small smile on her face. When she stepped back into her apartment, the only thing that remained from her adventure to whatever garden she had seen was the jasmine twined up her arm.

"Thank you, whatever you are. I get it. I didn't want to, but I do," she sighed out, thinking of her conversation with Didymus.

She did know exactly what kind of fire she was playing with, and it was the most dangerous type. The one that lured moths into it, to incinerate upon touch. But the gentle lick of it up the sides of her skin as she danced closer and then away was intoxicating every time she let it near. But would it consume her whole if she let it, was the question she asked herself, and found that she didn't really care about the answer. If she was the moth, and he was the flame, she was more than willing to be fully consumed now, it had just taken her eighteen long years to decide that.

She crossed the room and sat in the window seat again and debated exactly how she was going to go about telling Jareth she'd finally made a decision. Leaning against the window, she breathed deeply as she steeled her nerves. Finally she felt as though she was as solid as she could be and crossed to her dresser, opening the top drawer. She'd brought a few more sultry sets of underthings and she pulled one such from the drawer, before she headed straight for the bathroom to have a nice long soak as she made her final decision on what might be.

The clawfoot tub had never looked more inviting as she dropped a bathbomb in, the scent of summer rains, peaches, and jasmine floating up again. Adding a bit of lavender bubble bath for the foam, she smiled. It was HER scent, one she'd custom ordered for years, and had a perfume made of that she endorsed. Girls everywhere had followed her lead, the scent constantly wafting on the breeze, moreso when she walked by because it was a scent that was so intrinsic to her, she'd almost started exuding it from her pores.

As she started to think about climbing into the tub, she thought better, and walked back through the apartment, nude to grab the hand mirror before heading back and sinking into the exceptionally warm water, confirming the bubbles were covering her well enough, and holding the mirror up to her.

Thinking hard enough while looking at it, she summoned Jareth to the mirror.

"Hi," she softly said.

"I'm a bit busy, Sarah," he sighed, trying not to take a stern tone with her.

"So Didymus said. Could you, um." She found herself at a small loss for words. "Could you come up here in about two hours? Wear something nice, and human looking? Maybe control your hair a bit?"

"Sarah, what are you plotting."

"Dinner, Jareth. Out somewhere nice. Together. My treat."

"Are you, the great Sarah Williams, inviting me on a date?" he laughed a bit, as his crooked smile spread across his face. "After eight months of hearing nothing, I thought you might have forgotten our conversation."

"No, no I did not, Jareth. But yes, I am inviting you on a date. Dress nicely. Suit, vest, tie. We're going somewhere high class," she smiled.

"Two hours? Fine. I'll have to leave the troops here to continue working on this area."

"Hoggle said you'd been coming home looking worse for wear," she looked at him, scrutinzing his face. "Don't hurt yourself? Please. I'd like to stick to our agreement of seeing where things go, especially since I've changed my mind, and decided that the timeline can be a bit sooner than when I'm home."

She shifted where she was sitting in the tub, and the bubbles rose up, showing in the bottom portion of the mirror.

"Sarah, did you call me from a bath?" he laughed, a bit surprised at how bold she'd been.

"Maybe. Dinner. Two hours. Be at my apartment then, my darling Goblin King," she laughed, waving and letting him fade from the mirror.

"What on earth did you just do? Was this a gigantic mistake?" she sighed, letting herself sink further into the water, her long tresses soaking in the scents.

Finally, she climbed out of the bath, rinsed fully in the shower, washing her hair with her custom scented shampoo, and dried off, looking over at the bra and panties she'd picked. It wasn't a thong. This wasn't that kind of date, not that she'd be opposed if it ended back at her apartment without his leaving, but it wasn't a club night. The soft silk string bikini slid up her legs, the dark blue complimenting her skin perfectly. She put the matching strapless, overbust corset she'd bought to go with them on, lacing herself to the middle after securing the busk in the front, still thankful for her flexibility. Looking at herself in the mirror, she towel dried, and quickly brushed her hair, then tousled it so it would curl a bit.

Walking back into her bedroom, she headed straight for the closet and pulled a midnight blue dress with a silver lace overlay and sleeves, the back a keyhole opening. The dress was a beautiful knee length, and she slid it over the underpinnings, before sliding a pair of black lace-top thigh highs up her legs. A pair of silver slingback heels completed the look and she went to rifle through her jewelry box for the sapphire necklace she knew was in it. Fastening it around her neck, she headed back in the bathroom to finish her makeup, a light dusting of silver eyeshadow, a brush of navy liquid liner, a swipe of a bright red lipstick and her typical mascara. A gentle smile as she approved, sealed the look and then spritzed her perfume on, just as she heard the window in her bedroom kick open.


	8. The Best Mistake

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended. (x)**

Jareth sighed heavily, looking over at the troops he had been leading against the nightmares. He hadn't entirely expected that call to come, let alone while he was trying to finally clear the last of the darkness from the Labyrinth's walls. Calling the commander of the Raven's Wing over, he explained that he needed to head back up to the castle, and would be away that evening, but should they need them, Finnian would know how to reach him.

The commander had nodded at his liege lord and once the acceptance had been noted, Jareth transported himself back to the castle to try and clear some of the stench of the nightmares off of him. He very well couldn't go to his Sarah smelling like he had been rolling in a pile of sulfur and fear. The smell those monsters gave off was something he judged to be even worse than the Bog of Eternal Stench. At least it eventually came off when he washed.

He spent an hour and a half trying to scrub the stench and sticky ochre out of his hair and skin, grumbling the entire time about how long it was taking. He couldn't very well be expected to go to his Precious with that filth on him. Finally, he was able to clear the disgusting mess from his body and he thought long and hard about what she would want to see him wearing. Once he had decided, he shifted to an owl's form and took off towards the portal to the aboveground, and headed for the apartment she was inhabiting. The window kicked open before him and he glided in.

Sarah stepped into the bedroom as Jareth shifted back to his normal form, looking quite dapper in a black three piece suit, a black tie and pale blue shirt.

"You look… wow," she said, smirking at him, grabbing the silver clutch she'd moved her wallet and keys to, before tossing her lipstick into it in the event she needed to reup it.

"And you look absolutely stunning, my precious lady," he stepped forward and kissed her hand.

Jareth couldn't believe his eyes as he looked at Sarah, she looked every ounce the Hollywood glamour he knew she was. His voice was soft as he stepped towards her preparing to offer his arm to her.

"You never said where we were going," he said, still not sure where the night was going.

"Oh. I have reservations at the fine dining at the ski resort," she smiled. "It's a standing reservation the film company made me, I just have to let them know if I'm keeping it and how many. Tonight, Sarah Williams has a reservation for two."

Jareth smiled a crooked smile at her. "Looking to turn heads?"

"The paparazzi can get stuffed tonight," she laughed, her smile reaching her eyes for the first time Jareth had ever seen.

Her jade eyes sparkled and as she stepped towards him, he could smell the perfume she was wearing. Stopping her, he conjured a small piece of jasmine and tucked it behind her ear, gently adjusting her hair to hold it in place.

"You always seem to have that floating around when it comes to us, my dear," he smiled over at her.

Sarah laughed. "It's part of my signature scent. I started mixing a bunch of oils when I was young at renfaire and wound up actually pushing for a series of soaps and stuff for me. I still add them to my shampoo and conditioners. I actually have a friend back home that makes me bath bombs with most of the oils in them."

She took his hand in hers and grabbed her wool wrap off the coat rack as they walked out the door. They took the elevator down, talking quietly between the two of them. Most of the other cast were also in residence in the building, none had the clout Sarah did, so they were in smaller units. She didn't like to rub in the fact that she had the premiere flat in the building, and kept quiet about it. As they walked out the front door, a sedan was waiting for them.

"Production company," Sarah laughed. "They always make sure I have transportation."

Jareth nodded and opened the door for her, allowing her to slide in before walking around to the other side and letting himself in. Sarah was already giving instructions to the driver, as to when to pick them up, and where they were going. They quietly talked in the back seat the entire drive to the restaurant, Sarah looking every bit the happy, youthful woman she really was. When they arrived, Jareth nearly ran to open the door for her and assist her in exiting the car.

Sarah was the epitome of grace as she took his arm once she was standing and they walked into the restaurant, the broad grin still on her face. The maitre'd quickly walked her to the table they had reserved for her, towards the open kitchen, and waived the waiter over.

"A bottle of your best valpolicella," she smiled over at Jareth, a conspiratory look in her eye. As the waiter left the table, she explained, "It's a prix fixe menu. I hope you like the cuisine of this region."  
"Precious, if it is what you enjoy, it is your choice, your dime," he laughed, gently resting his hand on hers.

Sarah looked down at his hand a bit shocked. "You're not wearing your gloves."  
Jareth gazed into her eyes, debating how to reply to her notice. He'd not put much thought into things after she'd surprised him while he was out with the Raven's Wing clearing a particularly nuisance filled section of nightmares. He'd stepped back out of the fray to take her call, having kept the ochre covered sword out of her view, and having very specifically kept her view from his destroyed, disgusting armor. It had taken three rounds of washing to get the disgusting mess out of his hair.

"I honestly did not think about it, Sarah," he laughed a bit. "I was working with one of my guard units clearing some less than savory areas of the Labyrinth."

Sarah smiled at him as the waiter brought the wine back to the table. "You said you didn't like the riesling. I assumed reds are more your style?"  
Her observant nature shocked Jareth as he looked back over at her, his face gentle. "I do tend to prefer them, yes. I wouldn't have thought that something worth paying attention to."

The dinner was quiet, punctuated with a couple of small interruptions from American fans on vacation rushing the table for photos and autographs. Sarah was gracious about it, and when they overstayed her generous nature, she reminded them she was out to dinner with a friend, and beamed a smile. Jareth could hear the click of the cameras on the other side of the restaurant, taking photos of the two of them together, leaning towards one another caught in quiet conversation. They had finished the first bottle and Sarah ordered a second, not caring what the world thought, she was on a date with the one man she'd hoped to never make a mistake with, even if she hadn't always known it.

When they'd finished and she'd paid the sizeable bill, a reproachful look from the waiter at Jareth as he shrugged, relaying that she had insisted it was her treat for his birthday. They had laughed and enjoyed the entire night, and Sarah's sedan drove them back to her flat, her fingers entwined with Jareth's as she leaned on his shoulder.

As they arrived at her flat, there were a few photographer's desperate to get a photo of her out with a suitor, and they rushed into the building as quickly as they could. Jareth couldn't help but smile a bit at the fact that the pictures would run the next day and there was nothing that either of them could do. He knew the headlines would read something along the lines of 'Secretive Sarah out with Mystery Suitor'.

Once they were in her apartment door, she kicked her heels off and grabbed Jareth's tie, catching him unawares, pulling him towards her, a gentle smile spread across her face.

"Thank you Jareth, for everything," she said, her arms twining around him, holding him close as she pressed her face against his chest in an enveloping hug.

"Sarah, there's nothing to thank me for. You are a person I value greatly, why would I not be here when you need me," he gently pressed her back to look in her eyes.

As she stepped away, she turned a little, a blush rising in her cheeks. "One second," she shyly chirped out, as she turned and ran towards the stereo, turning on the CD inside, a soft classical music one.

Jareth smirked a little, and swept her into his arms, the two of them swayed as one to the music. He stared deeply into her eyes, not quite wanting to believe that he was really dancing with her instead of buried in a dream thinking he was. Slowly, he leaned down and caught her mouth with his, the desire to be sure it was tangible carrying him with the music. Sarah whimpered a desire filled noise as she fell into his arms, falling deeper into the kiss.

Looking up at him as they parted, her eyes were a bit dewy, "Jareth, I don't want this to be a mistake."

"Sarah, if you don't want this to be a mistake, it won't be," his voice was soft and caring.

She stood on tiptoe, kissing him again, and unbuttoning his jacket. "Stay here, tonight? I just need someone around," she swayed a little in his arms, the wine finally taking hold.

"I would stay by your side as long as you wanted, Precious," Jareth's hands gently ran down her arms as he bent down to kiss her again.

The romantic swells of Vivaldi carried through the room as he held her closely, swaying in time with the music. Leaving the next morning would be the hardest thing he had done in quite a while, because he would have to hope she would call him back again, and not just let this be a once in a lifetime thing.


	9. Mistakes Said Aloud

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended. (x)**

The music changed from the soft classical to something a bit more rock and Sarah stepped a bit back from Jareth, letting the music take her, her hips swaying in time to the bass beat, her eyes closed. Jareth stepped back a bit and bumped into the edge of her couch and sat, watching her enjoy the music. Unbuttoning his vest, he adjusted the way he was sitting so that the suit pants she'd insisted he wear weren't cutting into him.

"Precious, you look… absolutely stunning," he sighed out.

Sarah opened her eyes, the jade orbs piercing Jareth through to his soul, as she walked over to where he was sitting and straddled him, kissing him again.

"This isn't a mistake. You're not a mistake," she sighed against his lips, loosening his tie and pulling it off him.

Sarah slowly unbuttoned his shirt, smiling as his skin showed a bit more with each button opened, before standing up again and making a show of unzipping the back of her dress before unhooking the collar and letting the fabric pool on the ground, turning to face Jareth, whose jaw had dropped at the sight of her in her lingerie before him. Her eyes were half lidded as she turned her back to him and crooked her finger to get him to follow her into the bedroom. She pulled both curtains shut, and lit a couple of candles on the dresser across the room, before sauntering back to Jareth and pushing both his shirt and vest to the floor.

Jareth's hands gently roved over her exposed skin before starting to toy with the top of the corset. "My, my precious, this is… unexpected."

Sarah smirked up at him. "This is just the start," she ran her nails down his bare arms, standing on tiptoe to kiss him again, before sliding to her knees and unbuttoning his pants.

Jareth looked down at her, gasping a little as she slid the pants down, and smirked up at him, licking her lips. Her fingers hooked the top of his boxer briefs and slid them down, freeing him from the constraint. A broad grin crossed her face, and she licked the tip, before backing out, licking her lips again, and plunging his hardness all the way into her throat. He groaned a little, surprised at how eagerly she'd started, forgetting this had been something he'd known she'd enjoyed thoroughly from watching some of her other interludes. Sarah continued her enthusiastic run at oral on Jareth before allowing him to pop out of her mouth, with an audible pop, and a grin on her part. She stood up again, on tiptoe and kissed him, before she pulled him towards the bed, and turned him so the backs of his knees hit the bed. She pushed him backwards, and pulled his shoes and the rest of his clothes off, before climbing to straddle him again.

"Definitely not a mistake," her voice was husky, eyes glassy with desire, as she leaned down and kissed Jareth again.

Jareth's toothy grin spread across his face, as he ran his fingers down her spine until he hit the corset again. Sarah ground her pelvis against his, and he grumbled, still feeling her silk panties against his skin.

"What? Not liking the tease?" her tone was teasing.

"Not in the least," his voice was strained, trying not to betray just how much he wanted her.

Sarah stood, and toyed with the strings of her panties, a smirk on her face. "How much of a mistake do you want to make, Jareth?" she asked, the leer never leaving her face.

Jareth sat up abruptly, before he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her towards him, snapping the thin sides and letting the silk fall. "Oops," he whispered against her lips, before he claimed them as his own.

Sarah gasped against his mouth as he leaned back again, pulling her with him. He growled low in his throat and rolled so Sarah was beneath him. Slipping his hand down her side, and across her thighs, he gently slid his fingers up her slit to find the sensitive bud, as a smirk crossed his lips.

"So, so wet precious," he leered, gazing up her body, as he slid down, nipping the entire way.

Sarah's back arched as his mouth found its target and his tongue roved through her wetness, finding the source of her pleasure and started toying with it. Her voice was a strangled scream in her throat, as she tried not to be too loud for her neighbors below her. After a few moments of toying with her, Jareth slid back up, and kissed her. As he sheathed himself in her tight canal, a moan of pleasure escaped her mouth against his lips.

They moved in tandem, both working towards a mutual climax. At some point, Sarah had pushed him to roll and allow her to be on top, her preferred position, and Jareth had acquiesced, giving up his one bit of control in the situation. Their hands were frenetic as they roved across the other's bodies, Jareth trying to tease the laces of the corset loose to pop the busk open before finally giving up. Sarah continued riding him, her eyes rolling back into her head as she hit the first peak of her climax and fell forward unable to keep full control of her body.

Jareth continued driving up into her as she cried out, the desire to watch her completely unravel for him pushing him further. His increased pace carried her from her first climax directly into a second, her hands on either side of his head, eyes wide and glassy, body shaking as her muscles pulsed, carrying Jareth along with her. He pulled her down, kissing her soundly.

"No, Sarah, this wasn't a mistake," he laughed a little as he released her from his embrace, and helped her out of the corset before helping her climb into the bed. As he climbed in next to her, he enveloped her in a careful embrace.

The alarm chirped loudly and Sarah groaned, reaching over to slap it quiet. She hadn't drank like that in quite a while, and didn't have call at all that day. There was no reason she had left it on, and she was furious with herself for having done so. She started awake when she realized there was a heaviness of someone else in her bed with her.

"What on earth did you do, Williams?" she sighed, rolling to see exactly who was in bed with her. She didn't remember leaving Jareth, but did she invite him to stay the night? Things past dinner were a bit fuzzy, she remembered the fun time with him, but beyond that, who knew what she had done.

As she rolled over, she was thankful to see it was Jareth laying in the bed next to her, and she nestled back into the bed and his arms, trying to relax just a bit. His easy breath as he slept lulled her back into the embrace of sleep.

The sound echoing into the room as the birds chirped on the windowsill roused Jareth from his sleep and he looked over at the beauty still laying in his embrace. Not a mistake at all, he thought as he smiled down at her. Her features were soft in sleep, sharp but gentle as she breathed softly. He shifted ever so slightly and her eyes slowly fluttered open, a small smile crossing her lips.

"Good morning," she whispered out, her voice still husky with sleep.

"Good morning yourself, precious girl," he smiled at her as he rubbed his nose against hers.

"Last night was… nice. Thank you, again," she nestled further against him, feeling the warmth exuding from his body.

Jareth smirked a bit as he kissed her hair. "Precious, I would gladly give you that every day if it made you happy. I'm glad you asked me to come to dinner last night, instead of running off and doing something rash."

Sarah laughed. "Inviting you to dinner WAS rash, Jareth. But I think it was the last mistake I'll make, because it certainly wasn't a mistake," her voice was happy for the first time in a long time.

Rolling on to his side, Jareth ran his hand down her back as he kissed her softly. "You mentioned as much last night. And previously you had said I wasn't your mistake to make."  
"No, not a mistake at all," she kissed him gently, only to be interrupted by the sound of Hoggle yelling from the hand mirror Jareth had sent for her. "Shit, I'd better get that."  
Jareth waved his hand as though to tell her she was more than welcome to go ahead, and she hopped out of the bed, grabbing the mirror and facing it away from her until she was back under the covers.

"Hoggle, what did you need? Is everything ok?"

"Sarah, Finnian said he hasn't seen Jareth come home since he took off last night. They're all worrying about him."  
Sarah burst into laughter, barely able to hold the mirror still. "Hoggle, he's fine. Please tell whoever this Finnian is that he's fine."

Hoggle turned over his shoulder and a thin brunette man peered into the mirror. "You must be the illustrious Miss Williams. Have you seen his Majesty? We're worried about him, he didn't return last night and there's still much work to be done in the Labyrinth itself."

Sarah turned the mirror to include Jareth in it, as she nestled back into his arms. "Safe and sound, right here," she laughed a little. "It's a long story, one I'm not entirely keen on sharing. I promise I'll send him home eventually. After we talk."

Finnian's face visibly relaxed as Jareth glared at him. "Involving the dwarf, really, Finnian? You're not capable of handling the Kingdom for less than 24 hours? I shall return by dusk tonight. Leave me be until then," the Goblin King's tone was cold.

A wave of his hand closed the connection, and he took the mirror from Sarah's hand, setting it face down on the bedside table.

"You wanted to talk precious?"

"Um. Well. Yeah. I… you… this isn't a mistake. This isn't one of my rash choices, where we're going to fight in six weeks and it's going to be a spectacular blowout, complete with vases shattering my fountain. Jareth, I want this to work between us. I want us to be a real thing, something stable I can count on, even if my career is flagging and my world is falling apart otherwise."

"I'm glad you've thought about things, Sarah," his voice was soft as he ran the backs of his fingers down her cheek. "And I'm more than glad that you've decided to give this the try that it really deserves. I don't know how much longer I really could have waited for you, because waiting and watching was tearing me apart from the inside. But I knew you'd made your decision when I saw the peach sitting on my desk after your visit to my dream."

Sarah looked up at him, her eyes shiny with tears as she started to speak. "Jareth, I… I didn't realize what you were putting yourself through with all my mistakes."

"Precious, you had no reason to. It was my choice, I could have let go and allowed you to slowly destroy yourself, waiting until the very end when you whispered a wish on the wind, whether it was for me or not. But I made the choice to keep an eye on you, to keep you under my protection. It's not every day I have someone finish my Labyrinth you know, let alone a person that I could see was going to grow into a marvelous woman who still believed in magic."

Sarah kissed him tenderly, mouthing "I wish" against his lips. She didn't want to leave her world behind, at least not yet. She was too successful, it was better to let her career slowly fade away as it would eventually do, he hoped, but he wanted to grant the wish she carried in her heart.

Pulling back just a bit from her, he smiled again. "You do have to actually say the wish out loud for me to be able to even try to grant it," his crooked grin was plastered on his face as he reminded her of the rules. His eyes twinkled a mischievous gleam as he waited for her to say the words that had silently floated between them for the better part of a year.

Sarah looked him in the eyes, a defiant look in her own. "I wish the Goblin King was mine… forever," her voice was steady, knowing exactly what it was she was doing.

Jareth smiled back down at her as he leaned in and kissed her, whispering against her lips, "That is a wish I will readily grant." He waved his hand and a pair of matching silver bands were on their fingers, and on the dresser, a marriage license sat, signed and notarized to be filed when she returned home.

"I know you won't leave your career precious, and I'm not asking you to. But eventually, you will need to come to sit by my side and be my queen. For the time, I will gladly agree to split my time betwixt your world and mine."

"I didn't really think you would really grant that wish," her voice was froggy as she choked back the happy tears she was trying not to shed.

They lay in the bed, discussing Sarah's plans for the next while, trying to determine exactly how she was going to move forward with the rest of her life, splitting her time between two worlds, much as Jareth was going to have to do.


	10. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended. (x)**

It had been five years since she'd finished filming the movie in the Alps and Sarah Williams had returned home to file the marriage license for her 'mystery suitor' as the tabloids had called her husband. She breezed in the door of their desert mansion, having had another production meeting with her team. That had been her last feature film role, she'd given up acting to move behind the camera and use her considerable wealth to move to producing.

Jareth sat, lounged on the sectional couch, reading a newspaper, listening to some equally boring reports on the financial state of Europe, a pleased smile on his face. He had taken to playing the markets like a fish to water, as something to occupy his time while they were Aboveground. Finnian still sent him paperwork to review, but he was considerably more on top of it now, as he had nothing but time when he was at whatever home they were occupying at the time with Sarah.

Collapsing onto the couch next to him, she groaned and kicked her heels off. "I don't see how the women in the British Royal Family wear their damn stilettos in through their ninth month of pregnancy. I'm barely at 6 and it's already torture," she sighed, wiggling her toes a bit.

"Precious, I told you to change to flats the instant we found out, but you insisted it didn't look professional. We went through this last month, and the month before that."

"Jareth, you insist on wearing tights and page shirts still, even after all these years going back and forth. Why on earth would I take your fashion advice," she gazed over at her husband lovingly.

"My darling Queen, you act as though you aren't doing similar, insisting on trousers when we are back in the Castle."

"Those are just more practical," she smirked at him, her right hand laying on his lap.

"And I find these to be more practical," his eyes lit up as a leering smile crossed his face.

Sarah laughed as she leaned over to kiss her husband. They were working their way through things still, even as many years later as they'd been married. The denizens of the Underground hadn't been thrilled when Jareth had returned home from a one night adventure Aboveground and announced that there would be a Queen coming shortly. Until they found out it was the girl that had beaten the Labyrinth and befriended many of them. The travel back and forth was hard on them, Sarah spent most of the business week Aboveground, while Jareth spent the Monday through Wednesday, allowing for court business back in the Goblin Kingdom on Thursdays and Fridays.

Sarah's long suffering friend group in San Diego had squealed with delight when she'd called them from Italy and told them she'd been quietly dating a guy and they'd snuck off and gotten married with nary a whisper of controversy to the papers. Her parents hadn't taken it well, but had understood she hadn't wanted the fuss that would have come with the paparazzi knowing she was getting married. They'd come around though, when she'd shown up, Jareth in tow, and introduced them to her husband.

The horrors he had been clearing from the Labyrinth were finally gone, the three units he had tasked with the clearing had done a phenomenal job, and the entire Labyrinth was now open for runners, the few and far between they were. Rarely did he have to abandon his time with his wife in favor of dealing with a wish-away, and on the times that they were in the underground and it happened, she had taken over watching the child, a distinctly maternal instinct kicking in

The band of misfits Sarah had become fast, close friends with had been overjoyed when they'd finally announced she was with child for the first time, and she'd laughed delightedly when Sir Didymus offered to come out of retirement to become the personal bodyguard to the new prince or princess. Jareth had been quick to stop that one, telling the knight that he had spent many a year in service to the Royal Family and he was welcome to move to the castle, but stay retired.

Looking over at Jareth, his face still buried in the paper, reading the stock reports, she sighed. "You know, this could have been us fifteen years ago, if you hadn't pulled that stunt," she adjusted the way she was sitting again, the baby having started kicking her in earnest again.

"Sarah, we've gone over this a million times, if you hadn't made that mistaken wish, I wouldn't have shown up and done that," he looked over at his wife, his smirk betraying the fact that he knew he was starting a fight.

"We are NOT having that argument again," she glared at him sternly. "We CAN have an argument about how your child is being a pain already."

Setting the paper down, he leaned over and kissed his wife, hand on her stomach. "Precious, I don't think you'd have it any other way."

Smiling, Sarah turned and put her feet on the couch, laying down on Jareth's lap. "You're right, husband-mine, I wouldn't."

He smiled back down at her, content for now with their quiet happy arrangement, both of them having finally stopped making mistakes when it came to the other.


End file.
